Conflict of Interest
by DebC75
Summary: *COMPLETED* Miranda must stop Declan from investigating a mysterious beheading (MW/HL xover)
1. Prologue

"Conflict of Interest"  
By DebC

Title: Conflict of Interest  
Author: DebC  
Rating: PG  
Keywords: MW/HL crossover, AU  
Archive: Only if you ask and I say yes  
Disclaimers: Characters from the HL universe are not mine. Characters form the MW universe are not mine. Nothings mine. I'm used it by now, though; thanks for asking. ;-)  
Summary: Miranda must stop Declan from investigating a mysterious beheading 

Prologue

[Portland, OR Colby & Ryan Auto Body]

John Colby wiped his hands with an already greasy rag and reached for his coffee cup. "I'm taking a break," he said to his partner, who was still under the hood of the 1983 Ford. His partner made no reply, as he currently had a 3/16 wrench clenched between his teeth. John poured a fresh cup of coffee and stepped outside into the fresh air. He was taking his swallow when a beat-up truck pulled up in front of him. A hulk of a man stepped out, eying John. 

"You the owner?" the stranger asked gruffly. John nodded. "How soon can you fix the transmission?"

"Leak?" John inquired. He was not happy with the man's tone of voice, but he sure as Hell wasn't going to do anything about it. The guy looked like he could pound John into the ground just by tapping him. 

John looked the truck over briefly and told the man to follow him into the office. "We're booked up today," he said, looking at his appointment book. "But there's an opening first thing tomorrow morning, if you'd like to bring her back in then?" He paused, his pen hovering over slot where the stranger's truck could go. Looking up, he saw that the man was ignoring him totally and was staring at the door to the shop, his face wrinkled in a dark frown. "Sir?" he asked again, clearing his throat pointedly. 

The man jerked back around to face him suddenly. "Tomorrow'd be fine," he said and strode from the office abruptly. 

When the man was gone, John heaved a sigh of relief. When he was in the navy, he'd seen some pretty tough characters, but none of them had ever creeped him out this much before. 

"Yo, John!" his partner called from inside the shop.

"Yeah?" John responded as he returned to the shop. 

Richie Ryan slid out from under the Ford and stood up. "I thought I heard you talking to someone." 

"Yeah," John said, shaking his head as if to clear it. "Some guy who wants us to look at his transmission tomorrow." 

"Oh. You okay?" Richie asked. "You look pale." 

"Must be the fumes," John covered weakly, referring to the fumes from the car they'd painted yesterday. 

~*~*~*~

John was in the rest room when the gruff, hulking stranger showed up the next morning. He had no idea what had transpired in his absence, but judging from the way his partner of two years was bristling, it couldn't have been good. The stranger just threw his truck keys at Richie's head and said "I'll be back." He then hopped into the passenger seat of the SUV that had pulled up in the meantime. The SUV backed out, spinning gravel all over the place. 

"What was that all about?" John asked as Richie picked the keys off the ground. 

"Oh, nothing," Richie replied, staring at the cloud of dust in their parking lot. "I think Godzilla just got up on the wrong side of Tokyo is all." A grin quickly spread across his face. 

John chuckled. Leave it to Richie, he thought, as he went to pull the truck into the shop. Now thoroughly occupied, he did not see the worried frown that suddenly reappeared on his friend's face. 

~*~*~*~

It was almost dusk when Richie locked up the shop and got ready to leave for the night. He was alone, having convinced John to go home early. The truck they'd worked on still sat in the parking lot, it's keys secured in an envelope on the front seat. Richie was dreading the owner's return, and was beginning to think maybe he could get the heck out of there without a confrontation. 

He strapped on his motorcycle helmet and hopped on his bike. The engine roared to life. So far, so good, he thought as he left the parking lot. Not that he was actually running away from a fight, he rationalized. The guy hadn't said he was coming back for his head; just that he was coming back. And he hadn't said when.

It would have made a good argument had it not been for the fact that, a half mile down the road, a very familiar SUV forced Richie's bike off the road. Two men got out, one of them lingering by the driver's side door, the other pulling a sword and stalking towards Richie. Then he turned and barked an order at his buddy, telling him to go back and get the truck.

"Hey, it's you!" Richie said, trying not to sound nervous. "Fancy meeting you here..."

"Shut up!" the Immortal snarled, still advancing.

"Look," Richie said, starting to reach for his own sword. "I'm not looking for any trouble."

"Too bad. Trouble's looking for you."

"I don't even know you!"

"The only thing you need to know about me, boy," the hulking Immortal said as he swung his sword menacingly through the air, "is that I'm the man who's going to take your head." 

"Yeah," Richie quipped nervously "I've heard that one before, and from a lot better than the likes of you." He regretted it immediately, however, as his unwanted opponent lunged at him angrily. 

The sound of metal upon metal rang through the night air as the two men dueled on the deserted stretch of highway. In a lucky blow, Richie knocked the sword from his attackers hand, then charged him, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Being quicker, Richie was first to feet and while the other Immortal struggled to stand, he raised his sword and swung. The man's head plopped to the ground by his own feet and Richie braced for the Quickening. 

~*~*~*~

Larry Wales, a salesman headed to Portland on business turned off onto an empty road, realizing he was lost. He stopped his car, fumbling in the glove box for the road map. When he looked up, he realized with horror and amazement that the road was not abandoned. There in the darkness were two people, one kneel the other standing. Lightning like he'd never seen before whirled around them both, striking the one standing repeatedly. As Larry watched, unable to do anything but sit there with his mouth hanging open, the kneeling man fell to the ground. Then, to his shock, when the lightning subsided, the other man walked away, pulled a motorcycle out of the ditch, and drove off. 

~*~*~*~


	2. Part 1

Part 1

[Northern Oregon University]

Miranda Fiegelstein slipped into the Anthropology department's faculty lounge on her way to Declan's office. As usual, she noticed with a glance at the faculty mailboxes, Declan had been neglecting his mail. It was a wonder he ever got any teaching done, she thought, between his forgetfulness and his investigations. He'd be lost without me. Of course, none of this was spoken aloud. Instead, Miranda snatched Declan's mail from his mail slot and picked up his reserved copy of the Cascadian before heading down the hall to his office. 

She fumbled through the unusually large stack of envelopes and papers to reach the doorknob, turned it and entered the office. Nudging the door closed with her foot, she dropped Declan's mail on his already cluttered desk and tossed the newspaper on top of the heap. Then she flopped down on the couch to wait for him to get out of class. 

A little bored, her eyes fell on the newspaper, scanning the front page for titles that interested her. Although she tried to exude an air of disinterest, people really did fascinate her. She was sometimes amazed in how little the human race had changed in the span of a lifetime. And sometimes, she thought as a blurb about last week's rape case caught her attention, she wasn't amazed at all. 

Then something *really* interesting caught Miranda's attention. On the second page was a small article about a freak lightning storm. "Eye witness claims the storm decapitated one man while another victim drove away on a motorcycle. The mystery man remains a mystery and authorities have no way of knowing if he was harmed by the lightning," she read aloud, her voice falling into a near whisper. "Uh-oh..." she said, voicing clear surprise. One thought raced through her mind: Declan can't see this. 

She glanced nervously around the room, looking for a place to dispose of the newspaper. Then she heard voices in the hallway, and recognized Declan's voice as he chattered away to someone. Mole's familiar bark confirmed that Declan was just outside the office. Panicking, Miranda shoved the newspaper under Declan's couch and sat down quickly as the door opened. 

"Hey, Miranda!" Declan crowed cheerily as he entered the office, Mole tagging at his heels. 

"Hey." She hoped she sounded normal. She didn't want to give away that anything was wrong.

"I see you got my mail. What would I do with you, Miranda?" He smiled at her, and she smiled back, a small, thin smile. Declan scanned the stack of papers and envelopes. "No newspaper?" he asked.

Miranda shook her head.

"That's odd. I always have a newspaper."

"Maybe... someone took your copy by mistake?" she suggested. 

"Maybe..." Declan said as he sat down to grade papers. 

*~*~*~*~*

Declan set his pen aside as he finished grading the last exam. "Hey, Miranda," he said. "You wanna go get some lunch?" 

"Ahhh..." Miranda began. "I--" she was interrupted by the sound of crinkling, ripping paper and little growling noises coming from behind the couch. "Is that Mole?" she asked.

The both stood and crossed the room to the couch. There they found Mole shredding a newspaper. 

"Mole! Stop it!" Declan scolded. "Bad dog! Give me the paper!" 

Miranda watched as Declan attempted to get the newspaper from Mole. The sandy-haired dog, however, thought Declan was trying to play with him and a tug-o-war ensued. By the time Mole finally gave up and let go, all Declan was left with was the drool-soaked masthead depicting that day's date. 

"Sorry," Miranda said in her best deadpan. Inwardly, she was smiling at the scene she'd just witnessed. Times like these made hanging out with Declan immense fun. 

"That's okay. I can always borrow Peggy's," Declan told her with an impish grin. "Now, how 'bout that lunch?"

~*~*~*~


	3. Part 2

Part 2

[Saint Joseph's Hospital, Portland, OR]

Declan sat in the lobby waiting for his friend, Dr. Peggy Fowler, to finish with the patient session in her office. 

"You still here?" he heard a voice say and looked up to find Nurse Miller looming over him. 

"Yeah. Peggy's session is running long, I guess," Declan replied. 

"A lot of her sessions do that," Nurse Miller countered with a shake of her curly, red head. "She's one dedicated lady."

"That she is," Declan agreed with a smile. "Say," he added as the nurse started to walk away. "You wouldn't happen to know where I could find a copy of today's newspaper, would you?"

~*~*~*~

"Miranda! Hey, Miranda!" 

Miranda was on her way to the library when the sound of Declan calling her name caused her to stop. She turned and saw him sprinting towards her. He was clutching a newspaper to his chest. 

Miranda's heart sank. She could tell what was coming next, just from the look on his face. 

"Hey, Declan," she said as he came to a halt in front of her. 

"Hey," he replied. "I think I found something for us to check out," he said without preamble, opening the newspaper and pointing to an article on the second page. "FREAK LIGHTNING KILLS ONE," Declan quoted the title. "What do you think?"

He held the newspaper out to her, and Miranda took it, pretending to seem at least mildly interested in what he was showing her. 

"Well?" Declan asked, impatient in his enthusiasm. 

"Well, what?" she echoed noncommittally.

"We're going to investigate it, right?" Declan was giving her a look that was an unusual mix of his normal "cute puppy" expression and pure confusion. Miranda rather liked it, and if the situation were different, she would have given in to him. 

"I can't," she said in a quiet voice. 

"Can't?" Declan echoed.

"I... " her mind raced, then grasped at the first thing she could think to say. "I have a lot of work to do... for classes." 

Declan's expression remained puzzled and yet still hopeful. "Right... but you've said that before. You've always helped me."

"Yeah, that's true," Miranda acquiesced ruefully. She had given in to him when she was busy on more than one occasion.

"Hey! Great! I knew I could count on you, Miranda!" Declan exclaimed, obviously taking her momentary agreement as evidence that she would help him this time. "Stop by the office later and we can discuss it more." He turned and started to leave her. "I can't wait to go tell Peggy!" he added cheerfully.

Miranda stared at his back with a "what just happened here" look written across her face. "Wait! Declan!" she called after him. "I didn't say I was going to help you. I can't! I have too much stuff going on right now."

"But, Miranda..." Declan began. "I thought you'd be interested in this. This lightning--"

"Was just lightning," Miranda snapped back in a very uncharacteristic fashion. "People survive being struck by lightning every day, Declan." 

"Well, yeah, but what about the guy who lost his head? I've never heard of lightning decapitating someone before?" 

"So that makes it impossible?" Miranda countered. She was getting angry with Declan, partially because he was pushing her again and partially because she knew if he took this case, he'd be biting off more than he could chew. 

Declan seemed oblivious to the rising anger in voice. "Well, no," he answered her question. "I didn't say it was impossible, but I'd still like to know what caused it. Wouldn't you?" 

"No!" came her heated reply. "Declan, I won't help you with this. I don't have time, and besides, I don't think there's anything here to investigate." She started to walk off. 

"Miranda!" Declan caught up with her, grabbing her gently by the shoulder. "What's up with you?" he asked. "Why won't you help me?" 

Miranda stared at him. "You know, this world does not revolve around you and your little cases." Then she turned and walked off. 

~*~*~*~

"You know, Declan," Peggy Fowler said as she sat opposite her friend on the couch in her office. "The world doesn't revolve around your investigations." She said it kindly and as gently as possible.

Declan sighed. "That's what Miranda said, too," he told her. 

"She did?" Peggy was surprised. She never thought she and Miranda would have agreed on that issue. 

"Yeah," Declan replied. "I don't know what I did... or said... but Miranda seemed really upset with me, Peg." 

"Did you ever stop to think she just isn't interested in the little mystery?" 

Declan stared at her dumbly. "No, I didn't. Miranda's never *not* been interested." 

Peggy shrugged. "There's a first time for everything," she commented.

"Yeah, right..." Declan gazed longingly at the newspaper he'd plopped down on Peggy's desk a half hour ago. Suddenly, his face split into an incorrigible grin, which he aimed instinctively at Peggy. 

"No," Peggy said reflexively.

"Come on, Peg," he urged. "You know you want to."

"Whether I want to or not is irrelevant. I have a full patient roster today and tomorrow. I just can't." She paused when she saw the down-trodden look on his face. "I'm sorry, Declan," she added. "I really wish I could. It... sounds intriguing."

"Yeah, I know you do," he mumbled sadly. "It'll be no fun by myself, though."

~*~*~*~


	4. Part 3

Part 3

Miranda drove fast, letting her motorcycle take her where it wanted to go and the wind wipe away her seething emotions. She'd thought minor things like this had ceased to push her buttons years ago, but sometimes Declan was just *so* frustrating! She'd said no. Couldn't he have let it go after that? 

Well, no, she thought as the wind whipped around her face. He couldn't have; it wasn't Declan's way to pass up on an investigation. Especially one that was so complex. The harder it was to explain, the harder Declan usually worked on it. And she'd always helped him.

Not this time, though. She couldn't this time, even though it pained her to see the hurt in his eyes when she told him so. 

Her sigh lost in the roar of the motorcycle's engine, Miranda pulled over to the side of the road. Slipping off the bike, she breathed deep and looked around. Then--catching sight of the road sign--she began to laugh. Her subconscious must have been keyed into Declan's desire to investigate this because she found herself on the very road where Larry Wales has witnessed the improbable beheading. 

"Well, I might as well check it out... " Miranda muttered as she headed towards the ditch where she could still see scorched grass. When she was satisfied that nothing telling was left behind, she turned back to her motorcycle.

Climbing on, she went to start it up, and was greeted to the unhappy :rirr, rirr, rirr: of the bike turning over instead of the purr of the engine. 

"Oh, great," Miranda sighed. "Out of gas." 

~*~*~*~

"Oh, great," Richie groaned when the buzz of an approaching Immortal hit his senses. "Just what I need, another one." 

He left the office to stand in the doorway, leaning in a casual- yet-defensive manner against the frame. 

A woman was pushing a motorcycle towards the shop. She had dark hair and was wearing a black leather jacket. As she approached, Richie could hear her cursing her luck. 

The woman stopped when she was a few feet away from Richie, propping the motorbike on its kickstand. 

"Miranda Fiegelstein," she said almost formally. "And you're the guy from the newspaper." 

Richie nodded, stunned--partially to be seeing another Immortal so soon and partially because she knew. "Richie Ryan," he said, swallowing his nerves. He remembered all the times Duncan had announced himself as "Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod" right before fighting--and usually killing--another Immortal. Richie really hoped he didn't have to fight this one.

"Richie Ryan?" Miranda puzzled aloud. "Why does that name sound familiar?" She studied Richie for a minute, and then asked. "You wouldn't know Duncan MacLeod, would you?"

~*~*~*~

"How do you know Duncan?" Richie asked as he finished putting gas in the motorcycle engine. "Nice bike," he added, admiring.

"Thanks," Miranda ventured a smile at him. "It's a Norton." 

"I know," Richie told her. "I've always wanted one, but they're a little beyond my means." He indicated that she should follow him and led her into the office. Once there, he plopped down in the chair behind the desk. Miranda took the opposite him. 

"Ah," Miranda commented with a nod. Nortons *were* very expensive and this one practically an antique as it was. 

"Were you... um... going to say where you knew Duncan from?" he was a little worried, wondering if she wasn't what she seemed. 

"I don't really *know* him," she admitted. She shrugged. "But I've met him a few times. He's Connor's kinsman, after all."

"You know Connor?"

"Taught me everything I know," she replied.

"Oh," Richie looked her over real well now. Why were the good- looking ones always older than him?

"I met him in San Francisco right after the earth quake that took my life for the first time." Miranda gave Richie a quiet smile. "It was 1906 and my family sent me to work in a hotel as a maid. The earthquake happened my first day on the job. I was buried under a ton of rubble, and Connor pulled me out." She laughed slightly as she remembered. "Took me the longest time to believe him when he said I was Immortal. What about you? The last time Connor mentioned your name, you were some kid Duncan was taking care of."

"I was shot by a mugger," came Richie's bittersweet reply. He could still see Tessa lying on the ground near him and would probably always feel the pain of knowing that no matter how may times he "died," she could never come back to life.

"Oh," Miranda said thoughtfully. "Is that the reason you're not still with Duncan?" she inquired.

Richie shook his head. He honestly hadn't seen Duncan since Paris, back in 1997. After "Richard Redstone" had been kidnapped, Richie'd felt the need to get away for awhile and hadn't gotten around to coming back. They were still friends, though, and Duncan had given him the seed money for his shop. "I was ready to get out on my own, ya know?" he told Miranda. He shrugged. "We keep in touch."

She nodded. 

~*~*~*~


	5. Part 4

Part 4

"You're Larry Wales, right?" Declan called out to the man in front of him. The man was locking the door to his motel room, a suitcase beside him. 

"Yeah," the man said with a brief nod of his head. "And you are?"

"Declan Dunn. I'm a professor at NOU. I wanted to talk to you about what you saw the other night."

Mr. Wales eyed him warily. "Why is a college professor interested in my story?"

It was a question Declan was pretty used to by now. "It's sort of a hobby of mine," he explained. "I investigate unexplained phenomena, and you might say that a beheading by lightning would fall into that category."

Larry Wales shrugged. "I'd guess you could say that."

"Why don't we go get some coffee and talk?" Declan offered. The salesman agreed, locking his suitcase in his car before joining Declan in his truck.

A few minutes later, they were seated in a booth in a local diner with two steaming cups of coffee in front of them.

"So, what do you want to know exactly?" Larry asked point blank.

"What exactly did you see?" Declan countered as swiftly. He listened in silence as Larry recounted his tale for the hundredth time that week. "Wow!" 

"Yeah, tell me about it. I couldn't believe it myself, and I *saw* it."

"Was there anything... unusual... about the lightning? Anything at all that you remember?" Declan asked, truly curious. Miranda would have loved his, he thought sadly. He wondered why she'd insisted on being so stubborn all of a sudden.

"Everything was unusual about it," the salesman told him. "It seemed to come out of nowhere in a completely clear sky, just swirling around the two guys like it was trying to envelope them or something. Then just kept hitting that the one guy over and over again. His whole body was practically off the ground... I still can't believe he walked away from that."

"Yeah, that is odd," Declan commented. "Any idea why it happened that way?" he asked.

"Actually, I was hoping you could tell me," Larry replied with a shake of his head.

"I have no clue, dude," Declan admitted. "But I'm gonna see what I can do to change that."

~*~*~*~

"Come on, Miranda!" Declan asked the following day. Miranda turned her attention to the Bunsen burner in front of her, adjusted her safety goggles and went on ignoring him. "At least tell me if you've ever heard of lightning doing anything like that! I'm desperate here!"

"Declan, what part of no didn't you understand?" she asked at last. "I don't have time right now."

"How 'bout later then?" Declan's voice was getting whiney. Miranda knew that sound, and it could only mean that he was *really* a lot more desperate than he let on. 

"Can't."

"Why not?"

"I have plans," came the simple reply.

"Plans? With who?"

"No one you know." 

"Miranda!" Declan exclaimed in frustration. 

Miranda simply shrugged and poured a small amount of a clear liquid into the beaker she had warming on the Bunsen burner. "Did you ask Peggy?" 

Declan nodded sadly. "She said no, too. Why is everyone in my life suddenly busy?" 

Inwardly, Miranda sighed. She truly liked Declan. He was fun to be around and she found his investigations refreshing... but there was no way she could help him this time. She couldn't let him get involved. Especially after Richie'd told her that the guy he'd killed might still have friends in the area. Friends who might come looking for revenge. No... Declan really didn't need to get involved in this.

"Maybe it's fate telling you to let it go?" she suggested. Declan snorted. 

"I seriously doubt it," he told her. "I guess I'm just going to have to check it for myself. I already spoke to the guy who witnessed it."

"Really?" Miranda asked, finally looking up from her experiment. "What'd he say?"

"Oh? So you're interested now?" Declan commented in a mildly sarcastic tone, but he told her anyway. 

Miranda was relieved to hear that Wales hadn't actually seen Richie take the other immortal's head. He'd only seen the Quickening. 

"Heat lightning?" she suggested when Declan asked her what could possible do that. Declan looked at her like she was crazy; she shrugged. "It comes out of no where, no clouds or storm needed," she clarified. 

"It hasn't been that hot at night, though. Really mild, in fact, for this time of year," Declan pointed out much to Miranda's disappointment. She'd hoped Declan would be his usual scatter- brained self and be too wrapped up in the investigation to notice a little thing like the weather. 

"Oh... sorry," she apologized. 

"Sorry about what?" a voice asked from behind them. They both turned to find a young man with short-cut, reddish hair standing in the doorway to the science lab. 

"Richie," Miranda said quietly. 

"Richie?" Declan echoed her, eyeing Richie closely. "Is this the guy you have plans with?" he asked, as if she could do better. 

"Yeah..." she answered.

"We're going to the auto show," Riche supplied. 

"Auto show?" Declan echoed again, looking more confused now. "Since when do you go to auto shows?" 

"They have a good Harley display," Miranda said, as if this explained everything. 

"Oh," came Declan's reply. Turning his full attention to Richie, he held out his hand. "Declan Dunn, old friend of Miranda's," he said.

"Richie Ryan," replied Richie. "New friend of Miranda's."

"Ryan? Ryan... now, why does that name sound familiar?" Declan mused suddenly. Behind him, Miranda shot Richie and alarmed look. 

"Declan..." she began. "Richie's here now, so I really have to go. We can talk about tomorrow, okay?" 

Declan started to nod and then stopped. "Wait! Now I know! Colby and Ryan Auto Body! That's the name of the garage out there where that lightning thing happened." He eyed Richie suspiciously. 

"Lightning thing?" Richie asked innocently. Declan pulled the newspaper out of his hip pocket and showed it to Richie.

"Declan has an unusual hobby," Miranda informed Richie. "He investigates unexplained phenomena and miracles. That's what we were talking about when you got here."

"Oh," commented Richie. "Sounds... fascinating."

"Yeah, it really is," Declan gushed, not noticing the looks Miranda and Richie were exchanging. "You wouldn't happen to be connected to that shop, would you?" 

"I own it, yeah," Richie said.

"Oh? A little young to have your own business, aren't you?" Declan asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "You didn't happen to see anything that night, didn't you?" 

Richie didn't miss a beat. "No, I was at home," he said. 

"Are you--"

"Declan!" Miranda exclaimed. "Richie and I have to go, okay?" She began pushing him towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."


	6. Part 5

Part 5  
  
"You friend investigates miracle, eh?" Richie asked casually as they looked over the new stock of Harleys at the auto show. Miranda nodded silently. "And he hasn't found out about you yet?"   
  
"I've managed to keep it under wraps," Miranda thought, thinking back to her two close encounters that year. "There was this one time that came pretty close, though."  
  
"Oh?" I'd love to hear about it."  
  
Miranda smiled at Richie. "Declan had heard about new archaeological find here in the area. A secret cave with an ancient native burial site inside it." She told Richie about the mummy and the healing cloth, and how she'd accidentally gotten infected by whatever disease killed the mummy in the first place. "Declan thought the cloth healed me," she concluded.   
  
"Wow. Perfect timing."  
  
"Yeah," Miranda said with a sad smile. "I don't really like lying to him, but I don't know if Declan could contain this kind of secret. He has a tendency of just *blurting* things out."   
  
"Well, maybe it won't come to that," Richie told her as they turned their attention to another display. "Did I ever tell you I used to race professionally?" he asked with a grin.  
  
"Really?"   
  
"Yeah..." Richie suddenly started turning red. "This may sound funny, but I'd love to see what I could do against that Norton of yours."  
  
Miranda stifled a laugh. "Maybe we could arrange something."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
[Saturday Afternoon, at a local race track]  
  
"John says they run drag strip races out here on Friday nights," Richie told Miranda. They were both straddling their motorcycles, helmets on but not strapped or fastened. "I thought it'd be the perfect place to test our bikes."  
  
Miranda looked down to the end of the mile long track. Orange construction cones marked the stopping place. "Twice to the orange cones and back here?" she asked, giving her terms. Richie nodded and they both secured their helmets.  
  
In seconds, both engines roared, drowning out Richie's parting comment of "good luck." Although it seemed as if Miranda wouldn't really need luck. She made it to the cone a good five seconds before him.   
  
Richie was finishing his second lap when a tall, dark figure stepped on the track in front of Miranda and that same familiar tingle of nearby Immortal assaulted his senses. His bike came to a screeching halt on the pavement, and he tumbled off hurriedly just as Miranda drew her sword on the stranger.   
  
"Hey! Wait! We don't want to this here!" Richie exclaimed, jogging over.   
  
"Out of the way, pup!" the other Immortal snarled at him. "This is between me and her. I'll deal with *you* later."   
  
"Miranda?"   
  
"It's okay, Rich. I can handle this guy." Her words were accompanied by the swish of her rapier.   
  
Richie hoped she was right.   
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Declan and Peggy pulled up in the dirt parking lot next to the racetrack. "This is where Miranda said they'd be," Declan told his friend. She smiled.  
  
"It certainly sounds like--" She'd been about to say 'fun,' but the words fell away from her lips when she and Declan approached the track. Miranda was fighting another man--with her sword--and Richie Ryan was just sitting there watching. Oh, this *was* interesting, she commented mentally, while making a grab for Declan's hand. "Don't interfere, Declan," she told him.   
  
"Don't interfere? Peg! Are you crazy? She could get hurt... or killed!" he started across the blacktop towards the Immortals. Peggy sighed, following after them. So much for observing and recording.   
  
By the time she caught up with Declan, he was in a heated argument with Richie.   
  
"What do you mean you can't interfere?" he glared at Richie and then at Peggy. "You both know what's going on here, don't you?"   
  
"Yes, Declan, I do," she admitted, brushing a stray hair away from her face. Then she realized the mistake she'd made when she caught Richie gawking at her usually well-hidden tattoo.   
  
"She's a Watcher," the young Immortal said quietly.   
  
"A what?" came Declan's confused look.   
  
"A Watcher. She... watches us, records what we do and who we--" his voice stopped abruptly as he whirled around in time to see the stranger's head fall to the ground at Miranda's feet.   
  
"Ohmigod..." Declan breathed in awe and shock as lightning began to form around the woman he thought he knew.   
  
~*~*~*~  
  



	7. Part 6

Part 6  
  
"Peggy says they were head hunters," Miranda told Richie. They sat in the in the kitchen of his apartment, beers in hand. "They teamed up a few months ago and have been making their way up the West coast."   
  
Richie nodded. Joe'd said the same thing. But the retired Watcher had also added that he thought they would have turned on each other once they ran out of Immortals on the coast to kill. He sighed. "I'm sorry I blew your cover," he told her.  
  
"But you didn't," Miranda countered. "They would have come after me anyway," she pointed out. "and even if they hadn't, Declan would have eventually found out."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Are you kidding? The way this year has been going? I'd have been lucky to keep it from him for another year."  
  
Richie smiled a little. "So, what now?"  
  
"Well, Peggy convinced Declan to call the "miracle" unexplained and leave it at that. Only us four know what went down at the race track, and none of us is going to go to the police."   
  
"What about the guy who witnessed the first one?"   
  
"Larry Wales?" Miranda shrugged. "He's a traveling salesman here for a business convention. Declan will tell him he couldn't explain it and the guy will go home with an outrageous tall tale to tell his family."   
  
"All this is okay with your friend?"  
  
Now it was Miranda's turn to sigh. "I have a lot of making up to do, I think."  
  
"Wasn't happy about it, huh?"   
  
"You could say that." Miranda took a swig of her beer. "So... you sticking around?" she asked after a while.   
  
"Well, recent events aside, I actually like it here. Portland's been good to me." It had, Richie realized. His friendship with John, the shop, and now Miranda... things couldn't get much better than that. "You?"   
  
Miranda shrugged. "For a little while longer, anyway. Declan needs me."   
  
"Hadn't you better start making those apologies now?" Richie commented, teasing.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Miranda wasn't the only one waiting for Declan in his office when he got of his last class of the day. Peggy met her in the office a few minutes before they expected Declan.   
  
"A Watcher, huh?" Miranda said quietly, sizing Peggy up. "Mine?"   
  
Peggy looked away. "You're not supposed to find out about that, you know."   
  
Miranda gave a little snort. "It's been known to happen."  
  
"So... what do we do now?"  
  
Miranda shrugged. "Go with it, I guess. I'm more worried about Declan anyway."   
  
Peggy nodded in agreement. "He was pretty--" Her sentence ended when the door opened and Mole trotted into the office, followed by his owner.   
  
"Hey." Miranda and Peggy said at once.   
  
"Hey," he echoed, not looking at either of them as he crossed the room to his desk. "A heavy silence ensued.  
  
"Declan... I... we..." Peggy began in her best "Dr. Flower" voice.   
  
"How could you two keep something this big from me!?" he blurted out suddenly, face etched with confusion and hurt. "I thought we were friends!"  
  
"We are!" Peggy countered, Miranda nodding her head in agreement.   
  
"Declan, I'm sorry," Miranda added. "I should have told you sooner," she told him. His face went livid.   
  
"Yes! You should have! Peggy, too, for that matter! This... this changed everything!"   
  
"It usually does," Miranda said, her deadpan stopping him cold. She sighed. "I wanted to tell you, really I did. I just... wasn't sure you ready." Miranda smiled then, imagining the reaming out Peggy must have gotten when she explained Watchers to him. "It's kind of a big secret, don't you think?"   
  
"Yeah, but... " Declan looked between his two best friend, a sad, kicked-puppy look in his eyes.   
  
"Our friendship means a lot to me, but something like this... " she continued. "I couldn't let you get involved in the Game. It would have been too risky."   
  
His expression started to soften. "You mean a lot to me, too," he admitted. "You and Peggy both."   
  
"I know. We know." She smiled at him gently, Peggy imitating it with a smile of her own. "So... forgiven?"  
  
"Well... "   
  
"Declan!" Peggy prompted.   
  
Okay... but on one condition." Declan teased.   
  
"What's that?" Both women looked nervous.  
  
"Tell me more about this Game of yours."   
  
Miranda laughed. "Well, to begin with... there can be only One..."  
  
  
~*~The End~*~  
  



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